Labeling machines



April 14, 1970 G. w. VON HOFE ETA!- 3,506,524

LAB ELING MACHINES Filed April 15, .1966 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 /N VE' N TORS 57 GEORGE w voNHOFF EDWIN K. WOLFF ATTORNEY,

April 14, 1970 G. w. VON HOFE EI'AL 3,506,524

LABELING MACHINES Filed April 15, 1966 3 Sheets-Sheet. 2

INVENTORS GEORGE W VON HOFE W 9/ 97 L EDWIN K. WOLFF A TTORNEY April 14, 1970 e. w. voN HOFE ETA!- 3,506,524

LABELING MACHINES Filed April 15, 1966 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTORS GEORGE W VON HOFE EDWIN K. WOLFF ATTORNEY United States Patent O 3,506,524 LABELING MACHINES George W. von Hofe, Millington, and Edwin K. Wolff,

Stockholm, N.J., assignors to New Jersey Machine Corporation, Hoboken, N.J., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Apr. 15, 1966, Ser. No. 542,817 Int. Cl. 133% 31/20 US. Cl. 156517 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The terminal label of a continuous label web, in nonadhesive condition, is registered on supporting means at a transfer station, and then secured in such registered and non-adhesive condition while it is being severed from the web, by a suction device which is movable into engagement with the terminal label after its registry at the transfer station. The secured label is then detached from the suction device and applied to an article by means comprising a transfer member which picks the label from such device and carries it toward the article. The label is rendered adhesive after it has been severed from the web and before it is applied to the article.

THE INVENTION This invention relates to labeling machines, and more particularly to labeling machines of the glued picker type.

In machines of the indicated type, the labels are applied to the articles by a swinging label picker which is pivoted above the path of travel of the articles and oscillates from the articles up to a label supply. As the picker moves forwardly and upwardly from the place of label application to the label supply, it is coated with adhesive by a roller that rolls along the upper surface of the picker toward a glue supply roll with which it comes into engagement for replenishment of the adhesive. The adhesive coating on the picker enables it to adhere to a label at the label supply and carry the label down therefrom on its backward swing toward an article to be labeled. An applying or transfer arm then passes through the picker and clamps the label against the article. These operations are repeated as the picker oscillates between the articles and the label supply.

Heretofore, the label supply has been in the form of a stack of cut labels contained in a bottom delivery label supply holder or hopper provided with stakes or guides having offset support surfaces at their bottom ends for retaining the stack of labels. The picker plate is provided with cut-outs to enable it to receive the stack guides when applying adhesive to the lowermost label in the stack. This of course leaves certain unglued portions on the label which are known as picker marks and which prevent a completely satisfactory adhesion of the label to an article, an important consideration in certain types of labeling.

The primary purpose of this invention is to provide an improved picker type labeling machine from which has been eliminated the disadvantages of the heretofore known machines of this type.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide improved label picker means which will not leave picker marks on the labels applied thereby to the articles and thereby improve the adhesive application of the picker type of labeling machine.

Another object of the invention is to provide improved label picker means capable of supporting the label to be atfixed to an article throughout substantially its entire area during the application of adhesive thereto.

A further object of the invention is to provide improved label picker means capable of feeding glued labels to articles at substantially higher rates than known types of label pickers.

A still further object of the invention is to provide improved label picker means which obviates the necessity for label hopper equipment and which may be employed to equal advantage in applying labels fed thereto in the form of a continuous web.

Other objects of the invention, as well as the advantages thereof will become apparent from the following description thereof when read in connection with the accompanying drawings. Before entering into such description, it might first be pointed out that the label picker in a labeling machine is usually composed of two plates which are spaced apart at the time of label application to allow the applying or transfer arm to pass therebetween and clamp the glued label to the article. These plates may be fixed in spaced relation i.e., have no motion relative to each other so that they apply glue to the outer edges only of the label, or they may be movable relative to each other in order to spread the adhesive over the entire surface of the label. The instant invention can be used to equal advantage with either the fixed plate or the movable plate type of picker. The invention can also be advantageously employed in the so-called straight line type of picker labeling machine such as shown for example in the Ekvall Patent 1,630,235 of May 24, 1927, or the socalled turret type of picker labeling machine such as shown for example in the Holm Patent 2,161,469 of June 6, 1939, or any of the other types of picker labeling machines known to the art, such as the co-called continuous motion picker plate type labeling machines. Accordingly, it will be understood that the apparatus shown in the accompanying drawings is given by way of example to disclose one manner in which the invention may be employed and should not be considered in a limiting sense. In such 'drawings FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic, perspective view showing label applying apparatus embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged elevational view of the mechanism for supplying the labels to the picker;

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the vacuum head in such label supply mechanism;

FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the cooperative relation of the label applying parts; and

FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic, perspective view showing modified transfer members or label applying apparatus embodying the invention.

Referring more particularly to FIG. 1 of the drawings, the reference numeral 10 indicates generally a roll of label web W on which are printed a series of labels L. The roll 10 is rotatably supported in any suitable manner to permit of a proper feed of the web W therefrom, as for example, by a supporting pin 11 mounted on a vertical frame member or partition 12 of the machine. The web W is drawn from the roll 10 by a pair of draw rolls 14, 15 and fed by the latter past cutting mechanism generally designated C and to a label supply station generally designated S. In its feed from the roll 10, the web passes over a pair of spaced guide rolls 16, 17 rotatably mounted in any suitable manner on the partition 12. Located between the guide rolls 16, 17 and riding in a loop formed in the web is a floating roll 18 for applying tension to the portion of the web between such floating roll and the draw rolls 14, 15. Positive tension of a desired degree may be applied to the web by connecting I tension springs 19, 19 to the ends of a pin 20 extending by a control element 26 to stop the feed of the register rolls 14, the foremost label in the web will be properly located in the field of action of the apparatus at the supply station S and properly located with respect to the cutting mechanism C to be severed from the web.

There is provided on the web one control element 26 for each label and each of such elements is associated with a label so that it cooperates with the scanning device and the feed rolls 14, 15 to properly register such label with the cutting mechanism C and with the apparatus located at the label supply station S. The control elements 26 may be in the form of holes punched in the web, or in the form of indicia printed on the web with any suitable type of ink, or may be provided on the web in any other suitable manner. The construction of the scanning device 25 will be dependent on the type of control element 26 being scanned thereby. Thus, the device 25 may be a known electronic pick-up device of the look through type in which a detecting beam passes through the web to a receiver as the control element comes into registry therewith, or a known scanning device of the reflective type, or any other suitable type of scanning device known to the art. On scanning a control element the scanning device 25 will send a signal through the electrical conductors 27 to an electronic power supply box 28 which on receipt of such signal causes current to be sent through the electrical conductors 29 to an electric clutch 30 associated with the drive rolls 14, 15, and through the electrical conductors 31 to an electric brake 32 also associated with such drive rolls. The scanning device 25 is adjustably mounted on a transverse bracket arm 33 having a base 34 movably mounted on the screw that connects it to the partition 12 for adjustment longitudinally of the web. Thus, the scanning device may be adjusted longitudinally of the web and transversely thereto to bring it into correct position for sensing the control elements 26 on a particular label web.

As is shown in FIG. 1 of the drawings, the drawing roll 14 is an idler roll rotatably mounted on a fixed shaft 35 supported by the partition 12. Drawing roller 15 is mounted on a shaft 36 rotatably supported in suitable fashion on the frame of the machine and normally connected by the electric clutch 30 to a pulley 40 which is also mounted on such shaft. The pulley 40 is driven through a belt 41 and a pulley 42 connected to a continuously rotating cam shaft 43 that is rotatably supported by the bearings 44, 44 and is suitably connected in driven relation to the main drive shaft of the machine. The shaft 36 is provided with an extension 36 that is engaged by the electric brake 31 which is secured to a frame member or partition 45 of the machine. It will thus be understood that in the step-by-step operations of the machine the feed roll 14 will be driven through cam shaft 43, pulley 42, belt 41, pulley 40, electric clutch 30 and shaft 36, and coacts with idler feed roll 14 to draw the Web W from the supply roll 10 and to advance the foremost label thereof past the cutting mechanism C and into the field of action of the apparatus at the label supply station S. When in such feed of the web a control element 26 on a subsequent label L comes into position to be sensed by the scanning device 25 a signal is sent to the power box 28 thereby actuating the electric clutch 30 to disengage roll 15 from its associated driving pulley 40, and actuating the electric brake 32 to stop the rotation of such roll 15. When this occurs the foremost label in the web will be correctly positioned at the supply station S and properly located to be severed from the web by the cutting mechanism C.

The cutting mechanism C comprises a shear type knife having a fixed upper blade and a movable lower blade 51 pivotally connected at 52 to the upper blade 50'. The upper blade has a base 53 which is movably mounted on the screw that connects it to the partition .12 to enable adjustment of the knife assembly longitudinally of the web. The movable blade 51 has a lever arm 54 which is connected by a vertical link 55 to the outer end of a lever 56 pivotally mounted on a fixed rod 57 supported by brackets 58 secured to the frame of the machine. The lever 56 is provided with a roller 59 which engages a cam '60 affixed to the cam shaft 43. The cam 60 is designed so that at the end of each step-by-step movement of the web as determined by the control elements 26, lever 56 and link 55 will be lowered to cause the movable knife blade 51 to close and sever the endmost label L from the web. As soon as that has been accomplished, the cam 60 will cause the knife blade 51 to be lowered to enable the web to advance on its next step of movement due to the action of the feed rolls 14, 15.

Provided at the label supply station S are a pair of spaced parallelly arranged guide members 65, 66 having longitudinally extending slots 66' provided on their opposed inner edges to receive the longitudinal edges of the endmost label L as it is advanced past the cutting mechanism C by the feed rolls 14, 15. The two guide members 65, 66 are connected to the lower ends of a pair of vertically disposed blocks 67 and 68, respectively, which are movably connected for transverse adjustment to the outer ends of a pair of spaced horizontally disposed rack bars 69 and 70, respectively. The rack bars 69 and 70 are slidably mounted in opposed interior guide slots provided on the side walls of a rack housing 71 secured to the frame of the machine by a bracket 72. Intermediate the rack bars 69 and 70 and in engagement with the teeth of both is a rack pinion 73 (see FIG. 2). Movement is imparted to the pinion 73 by a lever 74 which is connected by a link 75 to a lever 76 mounted for oscillatory movement about a fixed shaft 77 secured to bracket 72. Lever 76 has an arm 78 which is connected to one end of a flexible shaft 79 extending through a casing 80 which is supported at each end by brackets 81 secured to the partition 12. The flexible shaft 79 is connected at its other end to a lever 82 pivotally connected to the fixed rod 57 associated with the cam shaft 43. The lever 82 is provided with a cam follower 83 which is in engagement with the camming surface of a cam 84 connected to the cam shaft 43.

It will be understood from the foregoing that the guide members 65 and 66 are in contracted position during the feed of the web and during the operation of the cutting mechanism C so that they will serve both as guides and supports in the advancing movement of the web W and during the vacuum gripping operation, and will also support the endmost label L after it has been severed by the web cutting blades 50 and 51. After the severed label L has been engaged by a suction head and supported thereby, cam 84 causes lever 82 to drop and pull down the flexible shaft 79 and lever arm 78, thereby causing levers 76 and 74 and the pinion 73 to rotate counterclockwise about their respective axes, as viewed in FIG. 2 of the drawings. This rotation of the pinion 73 causes the two rack bars 69 and 70 to move outwardly relative to the housing 71 and thereby spread the guide members 65, 66 outwardly beyond the engaged edges of the severed label L and release such label, so that it will be wholly supported by the vacuum in the suction head 90.

The suction head 90 is of any suitable construction and may comprise a perforated plate 91 and a cover plate 92 formed to provide with such perforated plate 91 a suction chamber 93. The suction head 90 is mounted on the end of a supporting arm 94 having at such end an elongated slot 95 through which extends the bolt 89 for securing the head 90 to such arm 94. As a result of this construction, the head 90 may be adjusted on the arm 94 to position it along the line of feed of the web W for proper registration with the labels formed from such web. As is shown more clearly in FIG. 3 of the drawings, the arm 94 is provided with a conduit 96 which communicates at its discharge end with the chamber 93 through an elongate slot 97 formed in the cover plate 92, slot 97 being of sufficient length to take care of the possible range of adjustments of the head 90 relative to arm 94. The entry end of the conduit 96 is connected to one end of a flexible hose 103 which is connected at its other end to a vacuum valve 98 controlling the supply of vacuum from a suitable vacuum pump (not shown). Valve 98 is operated by a two arm lever 99 pivotally mounted on the fixed rod 57 and having one arm in operative engagement with the valve '98. The other arm of lever 99 is provided with a cam roller 100 which is in engagement with a cam 101 secured to the cam shaft 43. The configuration of cam 101 is such that it operates the vacuum valve 98 to apply vacuum to the suction head 90 after the endmost label in the web has been moved into proper registration with such head, and before such endmost label has been severed from the web by the cutting mechanism C. Cam 101 maintains the valve 98 in operated condition to maintain vacuum in the suction head 90 until after the picker plate comes into engagement with the severed label L carried by such suction head, the valve 98 being released to cut off the supply of suction to head 90 as soon as adhesive has been applied by the picker plate to the severed label.

The arm 94 has integrally formed with its other end a transverse portion 105 which is connected to one end of a tubular shaft 106 rotatably supported by the bearings 107, 107 on the frame of the machine. Connected to the other end of the tubular shaft 106 is a lever 108 which is connected by a rigid link 109 to the outer end of a lever 110 rotatably mounted on the fixed cross rod 57. The lever 110 carries a cam roller 111 which engages with a cam 112 secured to the cam shaft 43. The cam 112 is designed so that through the aforesaid parts, it will provide the arm 94 with an angular oscillating movement to swing the suction head 90 from its label engaging position shown in full lines in the drawings downwardly to the dotted line position shown in FIG. 4 of the drawings. It will be understood that during the forward feed of the advancing end of the web W, the lower surface of the perforated plate 91 will just overlie the advancing web and cooperate with the guide members 65, 66 to guide such advancing web end. When the forward feed of the rolls 14, 15 has terminated, with the endmost label L in registry with the suction head, suction is provided in the chamber 93 of such head to cause the suction head to grip such endmost label. The knives 50, 51 are then actuated to sever such endmost label from the web and the guide members 65, 66 are spread apart to release the severed label L so that it is entirely supported by the suction head 90. The suction head is then caused by the cam 112 to move downwardly between the spread guide members 65, 66 to meet the picker plate 115 as the latter is being swung upwardly to receive a severed label L to be applied to the article A, at the dotted line position shown in FIG. 4 of the drawings. The suction head 90. may be given, by way of example, a downward arcuate movement of approximately 30", and the picker plate 115 an upward arcuate movement to the place of transfer of the label thereto from the suction head, of approximately 60. It has been found that these coordinated swinging movements of the suction head and the picker plate will substantially increase the speed of operation of the labeling machine.

As is shown in FIG. 1 of the drawings, the picker plate 115 is mounted on the reduced end 116 of a shaft 117 extending through and rotatably supported .by the tubular shaft 106. The shaft 117 has secured thereto a lever 118 which is connected by a rod 119 and a pin block 120 to a crank 121 mounted on the cam shaft 43 for imparting the aforesaid oscillatory movement to the picker plate 115. Associated with the picker plate 115 is an adhesive transfer roll 125 which is rotatably mounted on a shaft 126 connected to the lower end of an arm 127 mounted for pivotal movement about the pivot 128. As indicated in FIG. 1, the pivot or shaft 128 may be mounted on the other side of the partition 12, so that the shaft 126 extends through an arcuate slot 129 provided in such partition and long enough to permit the transfer roll to swing from the full line position thereof shown in FIG. 4 of the drawings, to the dotted line position thereof shown in such figure,

or through an arc in the neighborhood of 60. This reciprocating movement is imparted to the shaft 128 from a cam on the cam shaft 43 and connected thereto in the manner illustrated with respect to the shaft 106; it being considered unnecessary for an understanding of this disclosure to illustrate such connection. As is usual with picker plate mechanism; the swinging movements of the transfer roll 125 are coordinated with the swinging movements of the picker plate 115 so that as the latter swings upwardlyfrom its vertical label applying position, the transfer roller 125 will come into engagement with the upper end of such plate and then roll outwardly along it to apply a coating or adhesive to that side of the plate which isto come into engagement with the severed label on the suction head 90. Simultaneously, as has been indicated, the suction head will be swinging downwardly about the same pivotal axis toward the glued surface of the picker plate. The transfer roller 125 will pass beyond the free end of the picker plate sufficiently before the engagement of such plate with the severed label L on the suction head 90 so as not to interfere with such operation. The roller will continue on its path until it contacts the glue supply roll 130 upon which it rotates in order to get a new coating of adhesive for use in the next cycle. The glue supply roll 130 and its associated pot and scraper generally designated 131 are of a construction usually employed with picker labeling apparatus.

It will be noted that when the picker plate 115 comes into engagement with the label on the suction head, the entire area of the label will be supported during the adhesiveapplying operation by the perforated plate 91 of the suction head, and there will be no interference with the application of the adhesive throughout such entire area. Consequently, a uniform unbroken layer of glue will be applied to the area of the label intended to be covered by'the picker plate. At the completion of the glue applying operation, and before the picker plate 115 starts its return downward swing, the suction in the suction head 90 will be cut off so that the label will be carried away by the picker plate when it starts such swing. On removal of the label from the suction head by the picker plate, the suction. head will return upwardly into proper label receiving position between the guide members 65, 66 and the latter will contract to form a guide passage for the leading end of the web in the next step of advancement of the web.

When the picker plate reaches the end of its downward swing as shown in full lines in FIG. 4 of the drawings, an applying or transfer arm 135 will swing upwardly from the dotted line position thereof and pass between the two spaced sections of the picker plate and clamp the label against the article A. The applying arm 135 will retain the label clamped against the article until the picker plate starts its next upward swing to receive a new label, when the applied label will be stripped therefrom. As is shown in FIG. 4, the applying arm 135 may be actuated by a cam 136 on cam shaft 43, through a lever 137 movably mounted on the fixed rod 57 and carrying a cam roller 138, a link 139 and a lever arm 140.

The above described embodiment of the invention is particularly constructed for the application of labels to which glue is applied by the picker plate 115. It will be understood however, that substantially the same mechanism may be employed to apply labels provided with thermoplastic adhesive coatings. FIG. 5 of the drawings indicates how this may be accomplished by heating either the suction head, or the picker plate, or by heating both simultaneously. In the construction shown in FIG. 5 of the drawings, the bottom perforated plate 91' and the cover plate 92' of the suction head 90 are made substantially thicker than the previously described perforated plate 91 and cover plate 92 of the suction head 90, and the cover plate 92' has embedded therein a heating unit of sinuous form and connected at its ends by the electrical wires 146 to a suitable source of electricity as is well known in the art. The current furnished to the heating unit 145 may be controlled by a suitable thermostat 147 connected in the heating circuit by the wires 148. In such construction of the suction head 90' it is preferred that the cover plate 92 be modified to reduce the depth of the suction chamber therein and to design it so that there is a greater contact between the metal of the two plates 91', 92' in order to provide a uniform distribution of heat over the area of the perforated plate 92 in a manner well known in the art.

It will be understood from the foregoing, that the apparatus modified with a heated suction head 90' as above described, will function in the manner described with respect to the embodiment of FIGS. 1-4, except that instead of applying glue to the labels by way of the picker plate 115, the thermoplastic coating on the labels will be activated by the suction head 90'. It is preferred that when the apparatus is so constructed for the application of thermoplastic coated labels, the label receiving surface of the picker plate 115' be provided with a coating 149 of a releasable material such as Teflon to facilitate the transfer of the label from the picker plate to the article.

Instead of heating the suction head, the thermoplastic coated labels may be activated by a heated picker plate 115', the latter being heated by attaching thereto a thermostatically controlled heating device 150 of known construction in a manner known to the art. As above indicated, both the suction head 90 and the picker plate 115' may be simultaneously heated to accomplish any thermoplastic heating effects desired for a particular labeling operation.

As has been previously indicated, the embodiments disclosed herein are by way of example, and changes and modifications thereof may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

We claim:

1. In a labeling machine, means to support a roll of labels having in web form a succession of labels printed thereon so that their top edges are disposed toward the end of the web to be unwound, and means to transfer the labels from said roll to a place of label application including a first plane surface, means to provide at said first plane surface a condition of vacuum sufficient to adhere to the face side of a label thereto, a second plane surface movable into surface engagement with said first plane surface, means for advancing labels from said roll to said first plane surface so that their top edges are in leading position and their printed faces are in opposed relation to said first plane surface, said advancing means including a label support located between said first and second plane surfaces and in registrable relation with said first plane surface, means for successively registering labels from the web in non-adhesive condition on said label support, said first plane surface being constructed and arranged to pickup a label in non-adhesive condition registered on said label support when a condition of vacuum is provided thereon, means including said second plane surface for rendering a label adhesive While in supported condition on said first plane surface, and means for moving said second plane surface to cause it to first engage the underside of a label supported on said first plane surface and press the same against the latter while the label is being rendered adhesive, and then to carry the label thus rendered adhesive from said first plane surface to said place of label application.

2. In a labeling machine, means to support a roll of labels having in web form a succession of labels printed thereon so that their top edges are disposed toward the end of the web to be unwound, a first transfer member spaced from said supporting means and constituted of a vacuum device having a label backing surface to which a label is adhered by suction, means for intermittently advancing labels from said roll to bring the foremost label in a non-adhesive condition into registered position relative to said transfer member with the top edge of the label in leading position and its printed face in opposed relation to the label backing surface of said transfer member, means associated with said transfer member for bringing the printed face of the registered label in its non-adhesive condition into engaged, suction adhered and backed relation with said surface of said first transfer member, means for severing the foremost registered label from the label web while such label is adhered by suction to said backing surface of said transfer member, a second transfer member cooperable with said first transfer member and having a label supporting surface, means for rendering a label adhesive while engaged with said surface of said first transfer member, and means for moving said second transfer member to first advance into engagement with and to press against the underside of a portion of the label area backed by said surface of said first transfer member, and then to retract from said first transfer member to carry the adhesive label from said first transfer member to said place of label application.

3. In a labeling machine as defined in claim 2 in which said means for rendering the label adhesive comprises means carried by said first transfer member for heating the label carrying surface thereof sufficiently to activate a thermoplastic adhesive coating on a label.

4. In a labeling machine as defined in claim 2, in which said means for rendering the label adhesive comprises means carried by said second transfer member for heating the label carrying surface thereof sufiiciently to activate a thermoplastic adhesive coating on a label.

5. In a labeling machine, means for supporting a roll of continuous label web, a transfer station located in spaced relation to said supporting means and comprising means for supporting one of the labels on said web, means located between said roll supporting means and said station for drawing the web from a supported roll thereof and intermittently advancing the terminal label on the leading end thereof in non-adhesive condition upon and into registry with the label supporting means at said transfer station, means adjacent to said label supporting means for severing the registered terminal label from the web, label securing means including a label carrying device movable into engagement with a registered terminal label in non-adhesive condition on said label supporting means prior to said severing action and securing such label in said registered condition during such severing action, means for detaching a secured label from said carrying device and applying it to an article at a place spaced from said device, said detaching and applying means comprising a transfer member for picking the label from said device and carrying it toward an article for application thereto, and means for rendering the label secured in nonadhesive condition by said device adhesive after said severing action and before it is applied to the article.

6. In a labeling machine as defined in claim 5, in which said label carrying device is a vacuum device having a label engaging surface and said securing means includes means for providing at such surface a condition of vacuum suflicient to secure a label thereto during its engagement with a label registered at said station, means for operating said terminal label severing means after the label engaging surface of said device has moved into engagement with the registered nonadhesive label so that the latter is secured by the suction of such device against movement during the severing operation, and said securing means disrupting the vacuum condition at such surface when said transfer member picks the label therefrom.

7. In a labeling machine as defined in claim 6, in which said label supporting means and the label carrying surface of said vacuum device are so constructed and arranged during the intermittent feed of said web that they cooperate to guide the advancing terminal label into proper registered position on said label supporting means, and means for moving such surface into securing engagement with the terminal label after said supporting means and surface has guided such label into registered position on said label supporting means.

-8. In a labeling machine as defined in claim 5, in which said transfer member has two spaced areas for engaging two spaced, parallelly disposed edge areas of said label and being fixed relative to each other, and in which said label supporting means, said label carrying device and said transfer member are so constructed and arranged that said fixed spaced areas of said transfer device render said label adhesive at least in said two parallelly spaced edge areas thereof with complete, unbroken areas of adhesive.

9. In a labeling machine as defined in claim 5, in which said label supporting means comprises spaced label supporting elements for receiving in supporting relation a terminal label positioned thereon by said Web advancing means, and means to render said elements inoperative to support the label after the supported label has been engaged by said label carrying device and prior to the engagement of such label by said transfer member.

10. In a labeling machine as defined in claim 9, in which said supporting elements comprise a pair of spaced members engageable with opposite edges of an advancing terminal label, and in which said means for rendering said members inoperative to support the label is constructed and arranged to spread said members to effect such inoperativeness.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS JOHN T. GOOLKASIAN, Primary Examiner J. C. GIL, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R.

523 3 UNITED SIATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3 ,506,524 Dated April 1 4-, 1970 ln n flwww. yon Hofe and Edwin K. Wolff It is certified thz lt error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 3, line 52, "14" should read -15--.

Column 7, line 45, "to" s hould be deleted.

SIGNED AND SEALED we 4-4910 Attest: 7 mm! E- samnmm. fi Gounissioner of Patents 

